Morning journal and courier., 1887-10-31
Monday, October aI, 1887.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

At the Wolverhampton Church Congress Canon Isaac Taylor made decided stir by his presentation of facts concerning the spread of Mohammedism, and those facts will make an impression wherever they are made known. He said that over large DOT
 ton of the world Islamism as missionary religion is more successful than Christianity. Not only are the Moslem converts from pa ganism more numerous than the Christian converts, but Christianity in some regions is actually receding before Islam, while at | tempts to proselyte Mohammedan nations are notoriously unsuccessful. The faith of Islam already extends from Morocco to Java, from Zanzibar to China, and is spreading across Africa with giant strides. It has ac- quired a footing on the Congo and the Zam-
 besi, while Ugandi, the most powerful of
 the negro States, has just become Moham- medan. Ia India, western civilization, which is sapping Hindooism, only prepares the way for Islam. Of the 255, 900, GOO in India 5O,- 900, 900 are already Moslems, and of the whole population of Africa more than half. But Canon Taylor most startled his hear CTS by declaring that Islam has done for civilization more than Christianity. On this point he said: When Mohammedanism is embraced by negro tribe, organism, devil worship, fetishim, cannibalism, human sacri- fee, infanticide, witchcraft, at once disap- pear. The natives begin to dress, filth is replaced by cleanliness, and they acquire personal dignity and elf-respect. Hospital ity becomes 8 religious duty, drunkenness becomes rare, gambling is forbidden, immod
 est dances and the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes ceases, female chastity is regard ed virtue, industry replaces idleness, license gives place to law, order and sobriety prevail, blood feuds, cruelty to animals and to slaves forbidden. A feeling of hu- nanity, benevolence and brotherhood is in- culcated. ~Polygamy and slavery are regu- lated and their evils are restrained. Islam, above all, is the most powerful total absti- hence association in the world, whereas the extension of European trade means the ex- tension of drunkenness and vice and the de- gradation of the people; while Islam intro duces a civilization of no low order, including knowledge of reading and writing personal cleanliness, veracity and self-respect. Its restraining and civilizing effects are msrvel- 1OuS. HOW 1ltt1o uaS0 Wo lO SuOW 1UE Lu6 vast sums of money and all the precious lives lavished upon Africa Christian converts are reckoned by thousands, Moslem converts by millions.
 If Christian missions are to make any way in Africa Canon Taylor thinks the tactics now in use must be changed. The heather tribes, he thinks, can only be converted by sending over from the United States civilized Christian negroes in large numbers. And with regard to Moslems, he asks: Can we not attack the fortress of Islam from within rather than from without? ''Instead of raising antagonism by denouncing Mahomet as false prophet and Moslems as infdels, let us begin by showing, not how much Christianity differs from Islam, but how much it resembles it. Let us remember that in some respects Moslem morality is better | than our own. Moslems are
 already imperfect Christians let us try to perfect their religion rather than vainly l endeavor to destroy it, and we may possibly l transform Islam into Christianity. Thus we
 may find that in Gods scheme Mahomet has been preparing the way for Christ